Wahama High School senior Mikie Lieving, pictured here with intense focus prior to throwing a pitch during the opening game of Wednesday’s Class A state softball tournament at Little Creek Park, was honored as the Little Kanawha Conference’s Player of the Year for the third straight season by league coaches. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

PARKERSBURG — If there’s one name Little Kanawha Conference softball coaches are sure glad they won’t have to see next year it’s Wahama High School’s Mikie Lieving.

For the third successive campaign, the White Falcons senior and Ohio University signee was honored by the LKC as its player of the year.

Prior to the regional, Lieving had produced a 0.75 earned run average with 207 strikeouts. She belted her state record 23rd home run in the regional versus Man.

During a season where the White Falcons of first-year head coach Wes Riffle three-peated as LKC champions and did the same at the Class A state tournament at Little Creek Park, Lieving hit .606 with 10 doubles, three triples, 58 runs-batted-in and a dozen steals.

“Mikie did a good job in the circle as far as switching things up and keeping them off balance,” coach Riffle said of his right-hander after defeating St. Marys 3-1 in the first game at state. “That’s what she does best. She’s a great pitcher.”

Also making a third appearance on the LKC first unit is Wahama catcher Amber Wolfe. A Radford University signee, Wolfe belted 19 home runs, carried a .520 average with two triples, 14 two-baggers and 56 RBIs.

The Wahama battery was joined on the first team for a third time by fellow seniors Hattie Kennedy of Ravenswood and Leah Loudin of Tyler Consolidated. Kennedy, a catcher, finished with a .567 average, 17 doubles, four triples, nine bombs and 61 runs-batted-in.

The Silver Knight, who had a quartet of outfield assists, swiped 23 bases and hit .351 to go along with three doubles, a triple, one homer and nine RBIs.

Four players earned repeat status on the all-LKC first team. Three of them came in the infield with St. Marys junior Zoey Winland as well as seniors Lacy Mitchell of Roane County and Doddridge County’s Josalyn Lipscomb, who batted .375 with six doubles, five triples, five homers, 34 RBIs and 16 stolen bases.

Winland, who had 19 steals, carried a .420 average with a baker’s dozen doubles, three triples, five taters and 31 RBIs.

Mitchell’s final season in Spencer was productive evidenced by her hitting .451 with four doubles, nine home runs, nine steals and 47 RBIs.

Gilmer County junior Stevie Starsick, who hit .312 with five doubles, 11 steals and 15 runs-batted-in, repeated in the outfield. Also earning nods in the outfield on the first team were a pair of juniors in St. Marys’ Ava Childers and Ravenswood’s Emily Wratchford. Childers batted .265 with nine doubles, a triple, six round-trippers, seven steals and 27 RBIs. The Red Devil not only swiped 25 bags and drew 17 bases on balls while striking out just five times, but she carried a .495 average with 10 doubles, two triples, one home run and 30 RBIs.

Joining Winland, Mitchell and Lipscomb on the first team infield were Clay County sophomore Madison Morton and Wahama senior Morgan Christian, who hit .302 with five doubles, six homers and 27 runs-batted-in.

Lieving was joined on the first team as a pitcher by Roane County junior Mahailey Nicholson (22-8, 3.09 ERA, 278 Ks, 154 IP) and two sophomores — Ravenswood’s Macy Casto and St. Marys’ Cali Masters. Casto went 18-7 with a 2.50 ERA and 258 strikeouts in 140 innings. She also hit .473 with five doubles, a triple, seven bombs and 40 RBIs. Masters, who was a key cog in helping SMHS to a Class A state runner-up finish, went 17-3 with two saves. She had a 1.45 earned run average and punched out 205 batters in 125 1-3 innings. At the dish, she belted 19 doubles, three triples and a trio of homers to go along with 37 RBIs and a .468 average.

Doddridge County senior Abby Kelley, who batted .325 with a quartet of doubles, 10 RBIs and 34 stolen bases, was selected to the first team at utility.

St. Marys, which boasted LKC coach of the year Lacy Riggs, was represented on the second team at pitcher by Ella Smith.

Smith was joined in the circle on the all-LKC second unit by Doddridge County’s Kenna Curran and Gilmer County’s Addison Godfrey.

The catcher spots went to Ritchie County’s Jayci Gray and Roane County’s Lexi Burdette.

Infield selections on the second team featured Wahama’s Kalyn Christian, South Harrison’s Hope Woods, Gilmer County’s Layla Smith, Roane County’s Piper Harlan and Ritchie County’s Marissa Jeffrey.

All-LKC second team outfield nods went to Wahama’s Elissa Hoffman, Ravenswood’s Emma Smith, Roane County’s Karli Greathouse and Gilmer County’s Bayley Frashure.

Tyler Consolidated’s Alexis Livingston was the second team utility pick.

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com